Dennis will be missed by us, but being winter we will still imagine him just on vacation in a much warmer climate eating mangoes. God's Blessing to the entire family from our family at Shepherd of the Lake. Steve and Beth Lawrence

Dennis was our brother in Christ in Puerto Vallarta. So sorry to hear of his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. Mike and Janet Atteberry

After discovering how superficial and boring many Mother’s Day cards were several years ago, I put together a rather random list of things I valued about Mom. They were rather random thoughts on who she was and why she was so different form any other mother I’ve known. 1. No one else would accept the excuses I’ve made up over the years for me being me but my mother. She told me that she knew when I was lying. Case in point: When we lived in Andover, I said the handlebar broke off on my bike, causing the fall that gave me 12 stitches in my arm. Years later, she said she knew the handlebar was broken off before I started my bike ride that day. 2. Who else would keep trying to fix someone who can’t fix himself? Add up the money my parents have given me over the years, and they could have retired 10 years earlier with a villa in Sweden. 3. Trying desperately to stay on the level in my conversation with Mom and Dad one night, I found myself quickly breaking down. I completely lost it when I said, “I miss you so much,” to my mother. I hadn’t spoken by telephone to either of my parents for more than three months, something I will never do again. 4. After speaking with a student one day about how she takes in stray animals and stray humans, cares for sick people and people who can’t help themselves, and gives away money because, “It’s only green paper,” I realized that my mother was standing before me. I had to resist the urge to embrace her. 5. My mom has a smile that could launch a thousand ships, if Helen of Troy hadn’t done so millenniums ago. 6. I say I get my sensitivity from my mother, but she doesn’t seem to cry as often as I do. That must be where we differ: I lack the strength not to cry because I’ve never had to hold a family together. 7. She has five children—three boys and two adopted girls—and were not even Catholic. She stayed at home with us while my father worked when we were growing up, which makes her even more of a rarity and twice as insane. 8. I could tell when Mom wasn’t listening to me or she was too tired to talk on the phone because she would agree with everything I’d say. “And then I’m going to burn down my house and rob a liquor store at gunpoint.” “Um hmm,” she’d say. Most of the time, I didn’t have much to tell her that she didn’t already know or hadn’t heard from me, so I didn’t blame her for tuning me out. 9. I don’t want to marry someone like my mother. That would be too weird, and it’s too much of a job for any woman, anyway. 10. Just when I didn’t think my mom understood me when I came to her with life’s problems, she would say, “I know, Tim. It’s okay because I love you,” proving that she knew more than enough. 11. I’m not a momma’s boy. My mother was just a really, really great person. Ask anyone who had met her; they’re all momma’s kids, too. I love you, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day forever. Tim

Mom laughed at terrible jokes and anything else we would do to try to make her laugh. She always listened to you. She always made you feel good, appreciated, loved. She made you feel like the center of the universe. She loved all of us equally, unconditionally, and with her whole heart. She gave us all “the bug,” aka the love of travelling and the adventure of going someplace different. There are so many wonderful, great memories that I can’t list individually, but one became most obvious to me: when she became “Grandma” to Denny, holding him in the hospital for the first time. When they were alone, the rest of the world didn’t exist. They would whisper secrets and talk about anything that Denny wanted to talk about with her. When they were unable to be together, Denny would talk to her on the phone and “show” (it wasn’t a smartphone—it was an ordinary house phone) her his Lego’s, books, dogs, and whatever else with the phone, and she would “Ooh!” and “Aah!” at every little part. She couldn’t see these things but just listened to Denny and loved being a part of his world. She did anything for her children, including zip lining 4 years ago because her grandson wanted her to go. She never let you know or see how much she was hurting or was tired from the cancer; she shrugged it off saying, “Some people have it way worse than I do. God never gives us more than we can handle.” Some felt that she spoiled Denny. SHE DID with the same love, kindness, and caring that she gave ALL of her children and those who needed her. All of the friends we brought home over the years whom she helped—a hug, a place to stay, ironing clothes at the Refugio, a car to borrow, some money to get them by (knowing it would never be paid back)—she cared about all of them as she cared for us: selflessly, not judging, but seeing the worth in all of us. We miss you Mom and love you so much. Robin & Mike

From Denny and Robin: Grandma once told me she didn’t like swimming because her dad used to throw her in the water to teach her how to swim. I remember we went to the zoo in Mexico and when I was 5. I went and played with a baby black panther, and it playfully nipped at me. Going to the zoo was a tradition. Denny The night Grandma passed away, I asked Denny if he had a message for me to give her. He said, “Tell her she is my world.” After we were told of her passing, Denny hugged me and said, “God is still good.” Mom-Robin

From Carol and Gary Malek: REMEMBER ME To the living, I am gone, To the sorrowful, I will never return, To the angry, I was cheated, But to the happy, I am at peace, And to the faithful, I have never left. I cannot speak, but I can listen. I cannot be seen, but I can be heard. So as you stand upon a shore Gazing at a beautiful sea . . . As you look in awe at a mighty forest And its grand majesty ... As you look upon a flower And admire its simplicity . . . . Remember me. Remember me in your heart, your thoughts, And your memories, Of the times we loved, The times we cried, The times we fought, The times we laughed. For if you always think of me, I will have never gone.

From Linda Frisell: I read the following and thought of Donna: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO what a ride!'" I won't cry that it's over I'll smile because it happened! Love, Linda

The night after Mom's funeral, the kids and Dad and his brothers went back to the cabin. Uncle Peter sat down in front of the laptop, pulled up a blank Word document, and told Tim to start typing. "Let's do an A to Z for Donna," he said. "Whatever words come to mind for her." And this is just a bit more of her that we thought of (add more to the list if you'd like): A: adorable, affectionate, amicable, AWESOME!, always accessible, able, attentive, all knowing, Aitkin, Andover B: beautiful, benevolent, brazen, BRAVE!, bath, Blackjack, bookworm, Bloomington C: caring, cheerful, crafty, congratulatory, consummate cheerleader, courteous, Christian, canning, cool, Chippy, cribbage, care taker, cow, cook, crock potter D: delightful, darling, Dennis and Donna Dzubay, dog lover, dish towel, DA BOMB, dangerous E: elegant, energetic, enthusiastic, earnest, EPIC!, eternal, everlasting, everywhere, everything, endearing, enduring, earrings F: FUN!, fantastic, FAMILY!, forever, feisty, fun loving, fisher G: gorgeous, gentle, giving, gracious, grateful, gay, God fearing, gregarious, grandmother, gardener, graceful, GOOD!, GREAT!, Gummy Bear lover, Guinness, Genesee Depot H: humble, happy, humorous, heavenly, helping, helpful, heavenly, hugs, hopeful, hilarious, hot tamales, hippie, homemaker I: individual, irradiant, imagination, irreplaceable, insightful, integrity, inspiring, intelligent, ironer, Irish goodbye, Irish J: joker, joking, jello hater, Jelly Belly lover, joyful, Jesus, jovial, Jalisco K: kind, knowledgeable, kids, kissing, KICK BUTT! L: loving, Lefse, lutefisk, living, laugh, love, likeable, listener, Lions Club, loyal, loved a lefty, licorice, Lutheran, llamas M: mother, mom, merry, married, million dollar woman, Momma doesn´t, mannerisms, Momisms, MORE!, magnificent, maternal, Muskie lures, menu maker N: nice, nurturing, never-ending love, nearby, near, NI!, 1978, Neil Diamond O: optimistic, omnipresent, omniscient, orderly, orphanage P: Pink Floyd, pleasant, purposeful, pragmatic, perfect, playful, practical, pets, Puddles, pretty, pink, Puerto Vallarta, Plymouth, parades Q: quirky, Queen, Queen of the House, questionable children, quality control R: resourceful, ravenous, REMEMBERED, rhubarb pie, rewarding, radically awesome, radiant, reverent, religious, rebellious, red wine, Refugio, Richfield S: swag, super, superb, stupendous, sister, sister-in-law, sassy, silly, sincere, sweetness, sweet, SUGAR FOOT!, stubborn´(because of Dad), supportive, sharing, selfless, scheduling, survivor T: tender, traveler, trustworthy, truthful, trusting, totally awesome, thankful, thoughtful, tenacious, teal U: understanding, unwavering, underdog, unbelievable, unbreakable love V: VIKINGS!, vivacious, victorious, vim, vigor, vital to the family, vitality, vacation, venture, vini, vidi, vici W: watchful, WASKALLY WABBIT!, winner, wife, wonderful woman, WE, worrier, warrior, Waukesha X: xylophone by Denny, XXOO Y: youthful, she said “Yucky” Z: zoo, ZubTub, Zeetoy, zucchini, zestful, Zubaru

Memories from Donna's sister . . . Donna and I shared bedrooms, down the hall from brother Skip. Donna helped my parents raise me. She taught me how to pick the vegetables and fruit in the backyard. She taught me how to play games, how to play safely. She visited the neighbors with me. We would go to the farm down the street and pick corn and say hello to the cows. We would watch the baseball games across the street. When she met Dennis, she fell in love right away. When I got a job in downtown Minneapolis, she and Dennis gave me a bedroom in their house to stay in. I was very, very grateful. Then I moved away to go to college and, eventually, to marry. Minnesota was part of my dreams, as was my family. Donna and Dennis were blessed with five wonderful children, whom they adored. And the adoration worked both ways. Donna had a dream life, and a dream family. Celebrate the wonderful person she was, and will remain, in our memories. Thank you, Donna. Love, Darlene

We still can't believe that Donna is not with us in this life. Just like to think that she has gone away on another vacation. We will never forget her. She was a very special woman. We loved her smile, laughter, Irish spirit and so many other things about her. She was the real deal and a faithful friend. Like a sister to both Ken and I. We will miss her very much. Heaven has another angel "an Irish one"!!

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Dzubay's family. I pray you find comfort and peace remembering the love and good times you shared.

Viking Football Games will never be the same on our porch without Donna. and she always wore her purple earrings for the festivities. Tamefish Lake and Deb and Jack Gadbois will always miss the sweet lady!

When I heard of Donna's passing, this poem came to mind immediately. Many years ago I began to believe that Donna did not age and figured she would live "forever". Even now, I believe in my heart that she is not gone, she's just not "here". Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die. Love, Pat & Greg

Mom´s current favorite song, "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk the Moon. https://youtu.be/6JCLY0Rlx6Q Another favorite: Neil Diamond's "Song Sung Blue" https://youtu.be/ighSddnnaPE Dance favorite: https://youtu.be/kOfHOMpU4iE

We hope that you find this tribute to Donna Dzubay a place of comfort, support and inspiration for you to visit whenever you want or need to.